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Despite Denial By Authorities, Nigerian Police Signal Confirms Junior Officers Planned To Go On Strike

It was rumoured earlier in the week that some policemen were planning to embark on strike but the force headquarters debunked the rumour.

A day after the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force discarded news of strike as falsehood, a police signal has revealed that junior officers planned to embark on a warning strike to protest against their poor working conditions, poor salaries, lack of genuine welfare benefits and outdated weapons.

It was rumoured earlier in the week that some policemen were planning to embark on strike but the force headquarters debunked the rumour, maintaining that information about the purported strike was fake and mischievous.

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“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a news making the rounds on social media alleging that some members of the Force will be embarking on a strike action with effect from March 26, 2022,” Acting Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi had said in a statement.

“The Nigeria Police Force wishes to state unequivocally that the alleged publication is fake and a mischievous attempt by unscrupulous individuals to bring the Force to disrepute, misinform the general public and heat up the polity.

“It is pertinent to restate that the Nigeria Police Force is a regimented and disciplined organisation with laid down rules and guidelines for addressing grievances and in no circumstance is a strike action one of such means.

“The men and women of the Nigeria Police Force are fully aware that a strike action or other deliberate disruption of law enforcement services by any security organization is mutinous and the personnel of the Force would not degenerate at any point to that level of disloyalty and indiscipline, as policing services are paramount and essential in the maintenance of orderliness and peace in the nation.”

However, a police wireless message dated March 15, 2022, with reference number, CB: 4001/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/Vol, shows that the junior officers were, indeed, planning an industrial action.

The wireless message titled ‘Purported strike by members of rank and file,’ noted an impending strike by the officers over the non-implementation of the new police salary structure, failure in providing sophisticated weapons to fight crime, and poor general welfare of police officers.

The signal reads inter alia, “Intelligence reports available to Inspector General of Police indicate that some members of the rank and file are intending to embark on strike over non-payment of the new police salary structure, failure in providing sophisticated weapons to fight crime and poor general welfare of policemen.

“Note that Inspector General of Police had directed the immediate computation of salary under the new salary structure, tax relief/exemption for officers and men for immediate implementation, distribution of kits and other accoutrements have been initiated with force headquarters already concluded.”

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